Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-11-24
COL. FINLAY'S LUCK.
An interesting Renaissance of the DAYS of
the Old Canal in Toledo

Renaissance or ancient history. To-
ledos millionaire brewer leads the
procession.
The other evening the colonel was
sitting at q table at well known re-
sort where refreshments, liquid and
otherwise are dispensed. Quite a
number of local politicians, including
a prominent democratic candidate.
were gathered about him and trying
to lead the talk into the channel of
local politics. Col. Finlay wasn't talk
ing politics just then, but he was in
the story telling mood and narrated
the following yarn of early days on the
Maumee:
Now, my son, just have patience
while tell you story of my remark
able luck" said the colonel. sit was
away back in the early part of the
iftes. | was agent for the packet
line. You know, in those days there
was no railroads, and most of the bus
mess was done on the canal I had
my Office in little wooden building
that stood where the Burnett house now
stands, and l had charge of all the
company's business.
81 was only boy then, only a boy,
l tell you, certainly not older than YOU
are" turning to a reporter who had
joined the group, Sat that time, and it
always has been a wonder to me that
the company intrusted it's vast business
to me. The receipts of the express
company were handled in my Office
and | often had as much as 5000, 900
and even 100000 in that little wooden
Office over night. There was an i'm
mense business done on the canal in
those days, a hundred packets coming
in day, and they ran from Toledo
down as far as Evansville, Ind. | tell
you the business was big RESPONSE
bility for boy such as / was.
well, | had little iron safe in the
Office. Not one of these combination
safes that they have nowadays mind
you, but one of the old fashioned af-
fairs that opened with a big brass key.
In that safe used to keep the large
sums of mOaey chat came into my
hands.
'.But just listen while / tell you what
remarkable luck | had.
''One morning came down to the
office and when | went to open the
safe as usual the lock would not turn.
[ tried it in every way, but the key
didn't seem tc fit. Well. was in a
pretty fix. Finally / had the safe
loaded upon dray and taken to
locksmith shop kept by man named
Barrett, and had it opened. Every
thing was safe, and so far as could
see the contents had not been tempered
with, and of course I felt much re-
lieved.
''Well, all right now, just wait till
tell YOU the rest"
'.Some time after this [ was coming
down the street and met Sheriff Dodd.
He asked me to come up into Justice
the Bee Hive now is, to sit upon jury.
| told him that was busy, and begged
him to find someone else But the
sheriff wouldn't see it that way He
told me that the case would be dis
posed of in three hours. | didn't want
to go, but the sheriff told me that if
would consent to serve he would tell
me something to my advantage
sit don't matter what the case was
now, but the trial, instead of being
concluded in three hours, dragged
along for three days, and | was nearly
crazy to get away. There l was
cooped up on jury, and the business
of the canal office in the hands of tho
clerk. The longer the trial lasted the
more uneasy | became. Finally Sher-
if Dodd called me aside, and, taking
large key out of his pocket, said:
'Finlay, did you ever see key like
thatp"
q was amazed" 1t was the KEY to
my safe, and l told him so, asking him
at the same time where he got it.
s.Well,' he replied, EN- tell you"
Then the sheriff told me he had re-
Gently taken desperate character who
had been convicted in the county court
to the penitentiary. On the way the
prisoner had given the sheriff the key
and made a confession to the effect
that my clerk had entered into con-
spiracy with him to rob my safe. 1t
appears that had been careless at
some time and left the genuine key in
the safe. My clerk had taken and
made an impression of it on soap.
Then the prisoner who was his accom-
plice, had taken the impression down
to Chillicothe and had the key made
to fit the safe. Then all was clear sail
ing. The first time they tried the key
it failed to work and simply deranged
the lock, so that explains why | could
not open the safe that morning. But
they were not discouraged, and after
getting the key remodeled they sue
ceeded in opening the safe. They
opened it on three several occasions,
but there was not at either of these
times over $4,000 in the safe. This
was TOO small a sum for them and they
wouldn't touch it, intending to wait
until they could make big haul.
While they were waiting my clerks
accomplish was arrested on another
charge. tried and convicted, and of
course the game was up.
when l heard the story was in
dignant. l had every confidence in
my clerk and refused to believe him
guilty. He was arrested, tried, and in
spite of all could do, for secured
attorneys and paid for his defense, he
was convicted and sent to the peniten-
tiary."
mo, my son, don't call that extra
ord;,,orr oood l,,ol~ - op6 Go1 Eip1ou